What is Guests of the Nation about?

"Guests of the Nation" is a short story written by Frank O'Connor, first published in 1931, portraying the execution of two British soldiers being held captive by the Irish Republican Army during the War for Independence. The story is split into four sections, each section taking a different tone.

What is the significance of the title of Frank O Connor’s short story Guests of the Nation?

The Title. The title of the story, “Guests of the Nation,” refers to the English hostages that the Irish soldiers watch in an old woman's home. Irishmen Noble and Bonaparte don't realize that Hawkins and Belcher are hostages until later in the story, after befriending the Englishmen.

Why is Guests of the Nation ironic?

The title of the story, "Guests of the Nation," is an example of verbal irony. … Thus, in "Guests of the Nation," Frank O'Connor uses irony to illustrate the conflict that soldiers feel when they recognize the humanity of their enemies and yet they are compelled to kill them.

What is the conflict in Guests of the Nation?

In “Guests of the Nation” O'Connor develops this conflict between revolutionary attitudes in the strained relationship between the narrator and Jeremiah Donovan, the experienced rebel, who has the responsibility for carrying out the battalion order to shoot the prisoners.

Who is the protagonist in guest of the nation?

Bonaparte is the thoughtful, sensitive first-person narrator, telling the story in past tense from some unspecified point in the future. He's a young soldier in the Irish Republican Army who, along with Noble and Jeremiah, is responsible for guarding two British prisoners behind the frontlines.

What is the setting of Guests of the Nation?

The short-story Guests of the Nation” is set after the First World War (1914-1918) and in the war between England and Ireland that ended in 1921. English soldiers were sent to Ireland as prisoners. In “Guests of the Nation” men from both sides of the fight are living together.

What is Bonaparte’s role in the execution?

Bonaparte grows attached to Belcher and Awkins, and he protests the decision to execute the prisoners, even daydreaming about confronting his fellow soldiers to protect them.